There are good college football games, and then there are games where you know the stadium is going to feel different before the ball is even kicked.
No. 7 LSU to face No. 8 Ole Miss
Yes, it is a top- 10 matchup. Yes, both teams are 2-0. Yes, this game could have major SEC and College Football Playoff implications.
But come on.
This is about Lane Kiffin walking back into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium wearing LSU colors.
Kiffin spent six seasons building Ole Miss into a national contender before leaving for LSU. Now, in his first season with the Tigers, he gets Ole Miss on the road with his former defensive coordinator Pete Golding standing on the opposite sideline as the Rebels’ head coach.
And Oxford is going to let Kiffin hear about it.
The Lane Kiffin Experience
There might not be another coach in college football right now who generates as much conversation as Lane Kiffin. Sometimes that’s because of what happens of the field. But for Lane Kiffin college football isn’t chaotic enough yet.
Kiffin and LSU purused former college players who had already gone through NFL camps, including former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, as they challenged eligibility rules that prevented players with professional experience from returning to college football.
18-to-22-year-old college athletes are chasing the dream of making the NFL. They shouldn’t have to compete against players who have already been there. The goal is to reach the NFL, not come back to college because the competition is easier
What to Expect Against Ole Miss
Forget about the rankings for a second.
The first challenge LSU has Saturday is going to be surviving the atmosphere.
Every time Kiffin appears on the video board, the stadium is going to erupt.
Every LSU mistake is going to feel bigger. Every Ole Miss touchdown could make the place shake. And that’s exactly what Pete Golding and the Rebels need.
Ole Miss knows LSU’s system. Golding worked under Kiffin. Rebels quaterback Trinidad Chambliss also gives another fascinating connection to the previous Kiffin era. There is knowledge on both sides of this matchup that you don’t normally have in a regular conference game.
Then there’s LSU quaterback Sem Leavitt.
Leavitt was initially listed as doubtful because of back spasms before being upgraded to questiobale Friday after returning to practice Thursday. He has thrown for 574 yards this season while contributing seven total touchdowns, two passing and five rushing.
If Leavitt isn’t 100 percent, that completely changes what this game will be. Can LSU still run its offense at the same tempo? Does Kiffin lean more heavily on the running game?
And most importantly, can Ole Miss make him uncomfortable?
LSU-Ole Miss kicks off Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. ET. You can watch the game nationally on ABC, with streaming available through the ESPN App/ESPN Unlimited.
